Aurora postpones community cleanup days amid pandemic, but welcomes first hybrid Ford Explorer SUV

Region of York reminding residents as part of Earth Day, April 22, don't litter or pick up PPE, masks and gloves

Yorkregion.com
April 21, 2021
Lisa Queen

As case counts for the COVID-19 pandemic continue to rise, the provincial stay-at-home order has forced Aurora to postpone its community cleanup days to sometime in the future.

But the town is marking this Earth Day, April 22, by welcoming the arrival of the first of three hybrid Ford Explorer SUVs.

One will be used by the bylaw department, while the other two vehicles when delivered will be used by the parks and roads divisions.

The cars are part of the town’s Green Fleet Action Plan (FAP), which focuses on shifting toward more environmentally friendly operations.

That includes strategies to purchase vehicles that have lower emissions, use green maintenance products and explore options to reduce fuel consumption.

The action plan looks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2028.

Key objectives include reducing the number of kilometres town vehicles are driven by carpooling; eliminating trips and optimizing routes of snow plows, garbage trucks and bylaw cars; using GPS tracking information to plan routes; reducing vehicle idling times; tracking fuel usage patterns; exploring ways of working green practices into the fleet; converting to renewable low carbon fuels by adopting biodiesel 5 (B5) blend in diesel fuel; exploring battery technology for small equipment, such as chainsaws, blowers and trimmers, and implementing anti-idling education initiatives.

"I'm excited that the town has received its first gas/electric hybrid vehicle, the first of three, aligning with the Green FAP that council approved on Feb. 23, 2021,” Mayor Tom Mrakas said.

“This vehicle will help the town reduce the amount of pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions in our community and lower the town's carbon footprint.”

Meanwhile, the Region of York is hoping Earth Day will remind residents not to litter, a problem that is on the increase, according to Environmental Promotion and Protection director Laura McDowell.

Municipal crews are currently focused on spring cleanup, which includes street sweeping, debris cleanup, and flushing road islands and curbs to prevent pollutants from entering water systems.

"York Region, together with our local cities and towns, works to promote positive environmental practices and to help raise awareness for the need to reduce waste and to recycle, compost or dispose of items responsibly, specifically single-use plastics," McDowell said.

While the littering of personal protection equipment is a concern across the region, residents are urged not to pick up masks and gloves since the risks are far too high in case the PPE came in contact with COVID-19, she said.

Staff across the municipalities are trained to pick up litter safely, wearing proper PPE, and using special tools. Residents who come across litter are asked to contact their city or town, which will then dispatch staff.

The region also has an ongoing weekly social media campaign -- Waste Wednesday, available at www.facebook.com/YorkRegionGovt -- that reinforces how to properly relate and dispose of household items. Residents can also take quizzes and ask each other and the region questions.

Residents can also report litter along regional roads using the York Region Report a Problem mobile app, at https://www.york.ca/wps/portal/yorkhome/yorkregion/yr/reportaproblem or by emailing transportation@york.ca